SIDELINES

Press, 2 September 1983, Page 17

SIDELINES

HISTORY WAS VERY much against the Addington rugby league team retaining the Canterbury championship. Since the present competition format was introduced in 1967, no side which finished third in the premiership has been able to win the grand final. The sequence continued when Addington was eliminated by Hornby in the minor semi-final last Sunday — Hornby’s first victory over Addington in 11 games. Now Hornby, which plays Papanui in the preliminary final on Sunday, has to battle the odds. Only Linwood, in 1968, has captured the title after having been fourth qualifier. The last nine champions either won or shared the premiership honours. MANUREWA seem certain of winning the 14th Rothmans Soccer League title this season, thus maintaining Auckland’s excellent record of producing the champion team in the competition. The city has produced the winning side in eight of the 13 years. Mount Wellington has won the title five times, Blockhouse Bay, Eastern Suburbs and Hanimex-North Shore once each. Wellington Diamond United has won the championship twice, with Christchurch Mogal United being the sole South Island side to have finished first — in 1973, 1975 and 1978. HOWEVER, UNITED did provide the two section winners of “The Press" annual soccer penalty kicking competition, at Queen Elizabeth II Park recently. Rodney Woodham won the 12-15 years event, while Gavin Quinney was the eight-11 years winner. Both players scored with all three of their spot kicks. United also provided both goal-keepers, David White and Tony Roberts. THE NATIONAL marathon championships for men and women will be held in conjunction with the Speirs Group marathon at Wanganui on March 25 next year. The marathon’s publicity officer, Peter Coughlan, a former Christchurch runner, says that the course is interesting and flat. It comprises four laps and is largely on smooth tar-seal. The organisers are hoping that some of the country’s leading marathon runners will use the event to try and qualify for selection for the Olympic marathon in Los Angeles. Three men and three women will be selected and team nominations close at the beginning of April next year. The qualifying times are 2:12.30s for men and 2:35.00s for women. NOW WE KNOW what some Canterbury rugby players and their coach do in their spare time. The names, A. Wyllie, R. Deans, and B. Deans have been appearing with some regularity on the scorecards of the Scargill division 14 team playing in the Christchurch inter-club squash competition this winter. And at present the Scargill lads are lying third from 12 teams in their grade. “Grizz’s” wife, Karen, is also playing squash with some success, on a different night. Her women’s division eight team is in second place. CLIFF YOUNG, the Australian potato grower who hit the headlines earlier this year when he won the Sydney to Melbourne road race by running day and night with little rest, is faster than his ungainly gait in the ultradistance event indicated. Young, who is in his sixties, finished the Australian marathon in under three hours on June 12. The race was won by Ron Tabb (U.S.A) in 2:10.545. Tabb went on to represent the United States in the men’s marathon at Helsinki but failed to finish in a major place.